Evaluate Your Discovery

The UMKC Office of Technology Commercialization reviews your Invention Disclosure Form to determine:

the uniqueness of your invention

how your invention compares to existing technologies

whether your invention requires a patent

if your invention is licensable

the time and investment required to bring your invention to market

Why Are Inventions Evaluated?

UMKC has limited funds to cover the expensive process of patenting, so our staff must make informed decisions about which inventions have the most commercial potential.

While there does not have to be a massive market awaiting the product, there does have to be some industrial or entrepreneurial interest in obtaining rights to develop a product, funding further research and development in hopes of realizing your invention's value, or starting a company to produce it.

How Long Is the Evaluation Process?

The disclosure evaluation process may take anywhere from a week to three months, and possibly longer, depending on the complexity of the invention and the target industry.

Invention Evaluation Flowchart

After filing a patent application, it can take from one to three years for the patent to be issued or denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It may take five years or longer for commercial sales to begin, depending on how much work needs to be done to develop and market a product based on the invention.

University technology transfer offices find that it takes an average of eight years after an invention is disclosed to begin receiving significant royalties on sales.